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Tag: 501st

I’m going to guess that if you’re a Star Wars fan and you hear the name “Boba Fett” you’re going to be thinking something along the lines of:
Badass Bounty Hunter
Son of Jango Fett
Sarlac
“No disintegrations.”
“He’s no good to me dead.”

If you are not a Star Wars fan, you might think something along the lines of, “Who?” or “What’s a ‘Fett’?”

You know what comes to my mind when I think Boba Fett? I think one of the most expensive and difficult costume builds to grace the Costume Reference Library (or CRL) in the 501st Legion. In my opinion, the costume would be a lot easier if the paint job wasn’t so awesome.

Well…you can’t get simpler than all white can you?

Nope. And that’s exactly how he was supposed to look. Snowy white armor and flight suit with not a drip of color to his name. Actually, he wasn’t supposed to have a name either. Boba Fett is the child of the original idea Lucas had for Supertroopers. Eventually they decided to take the idea of a bunch of Supertroopers and turn it into one really awesome character.

Despite the fact that this is not the version that ended up in the movie, I’m happy to see that Sideshow Collectibles has released the Boba Fett (prototype armor) sixth-scale figure for those of us who would like to own a piece of Fett history.

This collectible figure comes with everything you need to display the Fett in all his glory, including weapons, extra hands for different poses, cape, and a replica of the Star Wars towel used in the 1978 video showcasing the original concept armor. Based on Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston’s original design, this suit is a piece of Star Wars history.

It’s quite the conversation piece when someone comes into our home and notices that Fett is lacking his traditional green and yellow paint job. I’ll admit that while looking at him, I’ve been tempted to grab my paints and turn him into a custom Wolverine style Fett.

Some Star Wars fans have taken such a liking to the original “Supertrooper” design, they’ve opted to build it themselves.

Looking at the figure and pictures of a fellow trooper’s 501st Legion-approved Boba Fett, I’ve noticed a few differences between the movie version and the prototype:

Helmet lacks the famous dent in the top right.

Armor is smooth with no physical weathering.

He has fewer armor pouches on his main belt.

There’s no girth belt underneath his main belt (the braided belt that sits under the armor pouches).

Since the armor on this figure is the same as the movie, I can see it as a valuable resource when building any mandalorian style armor. I’ll warn you though. Mandos can be very difficult to build, but their awesomeness when completed is worth it. If you or someone you know would like to attempt this difficult, but amazing build, head over to The Dented Helmet or The Prop Replica Forum to learn how.

In 1978 Joe Johnston designed an early prototype of the infamous bounty
hunter Boba Fett, for Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. The original ‘Supertrooper’ design featured striking all-white armor and the first prototypes of Fett’s trademark weapons.

Dakster Sullivan is geeking it out this weekend at Otronicon with her fellow 501st and Rebel Legion troopers. It’s her third year attending the event, and it’s sure to be a blast. On top of that, she is getting her new costume ready for its debut at Megacon in March. She can’t wait to show it off to everyone and get their reactions.

Laura is experiencing the short-lived but blissful euphoria that comes with getting over a nasty cold. She is using her newly recovered lung power to sing made-up songs with bizarre lyrics, despite her family’s threats to make stealth recordings. Today’s compositions include ditties about deadline purgatory, refrigerator smells, and movie piracy.

Rebecca Angel is currently listening to her daughter play the drums in her basement with some friends in a “band.” This is news since her daughter has only done musical things with her mom and other family members. She’s branching out! Other than that, Rebecca is very excited to see Potted Potter with her sister this weekend.

Rachel Cericola is desperately clinging to her New Year’s resolutions by continuing to exercise on a regular basis. She’s also trying to incorporate more local foods into her daily diet and is thrilled to be hitting up the farmer’s market this weekend. Of course, all of that may be sabotaged by a birthday party on Sunday. Her mother-in-law isn’t known for her healthy choices!

If you were lucky, then last weekend you were in Florida enjoying the wonder of Celebration VI in Orlando. One of those lucky people was geek blogger Amy Ratcliffe. She covers all sorts of geekery on her blog, Geek With Curves, and is just about the biggest Star Wars fan ever. Listen in as GeekMom Nicole Wakelin chats with Amy who shares all the details, from Roxie the Rancor to a stint in the garbage chute to what it was like being in the same room as George Lucas!

Orlando, Florida is this year’s host for the biggest Star Wars party in the galaxy, Star Wars Celebration. From August 23rd through the 26th, the Rebellion and the Empire will be taking over and showcasing the best they have to offer. From costumes to celebrities to collectables (oh my!), this is a must-see event for every Star Wars fan in the universe. The Florida Garrison has been gearing up for this event for over a year now and we are ready and raring to go. If you are coming to the convention or just thinking about it, here are a few tips to get you ready.

Pre-Convention ChecklistHow much are the tickets and how can I purchase them?You can purchase tickets online, through a retailer or at the convention. If you pre-order your tickets, an adult single day ticket for Thursday, Friday and Sunday is $55 and Saturday is $60. A child ticket is $27 per day. If you plan on being at the con for all four days, look at getting a four day pass. Adults are $135 and Children are $57. Pre-ordered tickets can be picked up at Will Call at the convention center.

What hotels are closest to the convention center?
The convention center sits on International Drive and there are a ton of resorts to pick from. Check out Star Wars Celebration’s website for all the information you need to find and book a hotel close to the convention.

Traveling to the ConventionWhat is the best way to bring my costume to the Celebration VI?For starters, if you are flying into Orlando and you can afford to ship your costume to your hotel ahead of time, DO IT! I’ve heard this is the easiest and most hassle free way to get your costume to the hotel. Just make sure you let the hotel know you are expecting boxes (and ask if they charge to hold it till you arrive). Regardless if you’re flying or shipping your costume, one member suggests you pack it like you are going to drop it off a cliff (you never know what it will experience behind the scenes). Try to avoid taping it up, just in case a TSA employee has to unwrap it.

Some other packing tips include:

Keep in mind that Bubble wrap is great stuff, but it also sticks to some paints.

To save space, try wrapping your gear in your clothes.

Place pictures of your costume inside your container. If a TSA worker has to open it up, this will help them know what they’re looking at.

Place a note with your costume stating Star Wars Convention Costume.

Make sure you check up on the latest TSA guidelines for locking up your gear.

Andrea will be heading in to Coney Island this weekend to photograph the annual Mermaid Parade. Then early next week she’ll be helping out PopCap Games, acting as one of many witnesses as a brave, brave soul tries to beat the “Longest Computer Card Game” Guinness World Record by playing 30 hours of Solitaire Blitz!

Nicole Wakelin is playing with a Chevy Malibu loaner car all week. There are so many buttons. She is hoping she doesn’t accidentally hit the Seat Eject that she’s sure is there somewhere.

Marziah will be attending the KC area Maker Faire this weekend. Be sure to say “hi” if you see her there.

Sarah is looking forward to defeating Mount laundry this weekend while listening to the Sesame Street gang on vinyl, and watching her son play with his new Playmobil characters. She hopes to finally sit down and begin watching season one of Sherlock and finish a long overdue crochet project.

As she’s typing this, Patricia is within 2 hours of being home from her week-long trip to the Northeast. She enjoyed her husband’s family reunion in Pennsylvania as well as a couple days with her parents in West Virginia. The kids stayed up north for a couple weeks with the grandparents and Patricia has great plans to really catch up on her life: cleaning the house, catching up on GeekMom product reviews and preparing to take over as webmaster for her base spouses’ club website, which needs some work.

Rebecca Angel is currently alone in the house since her kids and husband are away. Originally, she thought this would lead to craziness like watching movies and reading books all day, but instead she is completing projects and cleaning the house. It’s still a good start to summer.

This week Kelly Knox is excited to take her daughter to see Recess Monkey in concert under the big top. The energetic kindie band is performing at Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle for their “In Tents” circus-themed show.

Chaos Mandy is very excited to take her daughter to see Brave in theaters this weekend. It will be the first Disney/Pixar movie she will see on the big screen.

Natania is settling into life with her one month old and rambunctious almost six year old as summer vacation gets into full swing. This week she will be a guest panelist at ConTemporal, a local convention in Chapel Hill, NC, where she’ll be an adult for a bit and will escape the world of diapers and spit-up for a short time. She’s most excited to be writing again after her brain was taken hostage by pregnancy hormones! Additionally, her son and she have been enjoying the heck out of Keane’s newest album, Strangeland, and have been subsequently daydreaming about visiting England again (not to mention contemplating buying a digital piano).

Judy Berna will be mothering six children for the next two weeks, as her nephew and neice from San Fransisco joined the gang on Tuesday. The next fourteen days will be full of exploring the mountains, riding bikes, jumping on trampolines, eating endless meals, and making lifetime memories with cousins. In the early mornings, as exhausted kids sleep in, Judy will be plugging away at getting her book ready for publication and keeping up with the fun list of GeekMom posts she’s working on.

Corrina is pleased with The Library Journal review of her superhero novella, Luminous, which pronounced the story a “good start on the beachy book season.” She’s currently busy preparing activities to keep the kids busy this summer. She foresees much use of her Six Flags season passes.

Dakster will be on the sidelines this Saturday so her husband can troop a young child’s memorial service. A few weeks ago, a young Jedi lost his two and a half year battle with brain cancer and his parents have asked the 501st Legion to be in attendance for a celebration of his life. Many of my squad mates trooped his birthday party last year, so this will be a rough troop for many. It will be one of those days that wearing a helmet will be blessing as it will allow them to hide their tears…

Brigid has decided that the secret to a healthy business is to go on vacation. She swears she’s never so desirable as when she’s 1,500 miles from her studio and almost completely inaccessible!

Melissa Wiley is heading to Anaheim this weekend for the ALA Annual meeting, where she plans to discuss a ton of books and eat a ton of food. Until then, she’s hanging out in her yard hoping for another sighting of the ladder-backed woodpecker she spotted yesterday — a sight to make her bird-geek’s heart skip a beat.

Ruth spent last week recovering from Southeast LinuxFest by doing a 2400-mile road trip in six days, no kids. New Orleans, the Great River Road, Memphis, Nashville–all delicious. The Sunsphere in Knoxville still looks just like it did when she last saw it, at the World’s Fair in 1982.

Some people dreamed of growing up to be a storm trooper and some of us actually made it there. Since February 2011, I have been a proud and active member in the 501st Legion also known as Vader’s Fist.

The 501st legion is a worldwide professional costuming club that specializes in the “bad guys” of the Star Wars universe. We never charge for appearances and have shown up to everything from charity walks to formal weddings. In the past 12 years, the 501st Legion has grown to more than 5,000 active members worldwide.

As stated in Article 1 of the Legion Charter, “…The Legion is an all-volunteer organization formed for the express purpose of bringing together costume enthusiasts under a collective identity within which to operate. The Legion seeks to promote interest in Star Wars through the building and wearing of quality costumes, and to facilitate the use of these costumes for Star Wars-related events as well as contributions to the local community through costumed charity and volunteer work…”

There is no cost involved in applying or staying active in the legion. The bare requirements are being at least 18 years of age and owning a movie quality costume from one of the Star Wars films. The legion also accepts costumes from the expanded universe such as the books and video games. For a complete listing of costumes currently accepted by the legion, take a look at the visual guides.

To get into the legion is no laughing matter and for some it takes years of blood, sweat, tears and financial planning. My husband, Brian, has been working on a Jango Fett for the past year and he is still not done yet. Others have it a little easier and complete their builds (costume) in a matter of months. My animated clone trooper build took 5 months. With the expertise and guidance of Zach Winnermark, Dave Young and Shawn Oudit of the Florida Garrison, my clone trooper Denal was brought to life.

Since, I first received my helmet, it has been an adventure. I have learned patience, confidence and most of all I have made lasting friendships and touched the lives of children and adults. There is nothing like stepping out and seeing the look of amazement on a child’s face. It’s great to see the adults jumping up and down at our arrival as well.

Paul Button, Lake Eola Step it up for Down syndrome

Marching in parades is a fun past time of many troopers. Some parades we can be a little more relaxed and have fun with the spectators. In other parades we are instructed to act as a military unit (no waving or interaction with spectators). When the legion was invited to participate in the Rose Bowl parade in 2007, George Lucas was very specific on how he wanted everyone to look. To achieve a military look, he had all 200 legion members participating work with military drill instructors for 2 days.

For other events, such as Star Wars weekends at Hollywood Studios – Orlando, Florida, we might get together and decide to go military or just wing it. It takes a lot of skill and practice to pull it off.

Dakster and Brandon, Acme Comics Fundraiser 2011

My 6 year old son tells everyone that his mommy is a clone trooper. While marching in the motorcade during Star Wars weekends, I saw him jumping up and down from the side lines yelling “Mommy!” Sometimes he suits up as Captain Rex and troops alongside me. He is also very quick to correct people when they call me a storm trooper.

Conventions are another fun thing we participate in. There are many throughout the world that we attend. My home town favorites are Megacon, Dragoncon, Vulcan Events: Away Mission Orlando and Star Wars Celebration. Suiting up for these events is sometimes half the fun. At Megacon this past year I suited up in my hotel across the street and walked all the way into the convention center and then some to get to our booth. My total time suited up ended up being around four and half hours. It’s also interesting to see others have fun with their costumes and not always go movie accurate at events. My husband, for

Brian and Dakster, Megacon 2011

example, only had his Jango Fett helmet completed around Megacon, so he improvised and trooped along side me as “Mob Boss Jango”.

Some of my favorite moments include talking to others while suited up. The first reaction of most people after hearing my voice is usually “it’s a girl!” One mom in an effort to explain why I sounded like a girl to her children said I was Princess Leia in disguise. My reaction is usually to laugh, but inside I’m proud. I worked hard to get to the moment of stepping out in front of the crowds and serving the empire and I hope to continue for a long time.

For more information and to find your local 501st garrison, please visit www.501st.com

Have you had a run in with the empire? Share your stories with us in the comment section.